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Mevlevi
dervishes perform the whirling sema ceremony
in the Hodjapasha
Art & Culture Center near
Sirkeci
Station (map),
just down the hill from Sultanahmet,
each evening at 19:30 (7:30 pm),
except Tuesday and Thursday.
Admission costs TL40
for adults, TL25 for children. Refreshments
(beverages and sweets) are included
in the price. The dervish music and
whirling event lasts about one hour.
I prefer to witness the sema in
the historic Galata
Mevlevihanesi (dervish hall), or
in Konya,
but Istanbul's Galata
Mevlevihanesi is currently closed
for repairs, and Konya is a long way
from Istanbul.
The Hodjapasha
Art & Culture Center,
in a restored Ottoman building
(formerly a Turkish
bath), is quite
an atmospheric setting worthy of
the solemn rite; and it's easier
to obtain tickets to performances
at the Center than it is for other
locations.
The Art & Culture
Center also hosts performances
of Turkish dance on
Tuesday and Thursday at 20:00 (8
pm) and Saturday at 21:00 (9 pm)
The one-hour performance costs 25
euros; complimentary refreshments
are served during intermission. An
exhibit in the foyer outlines the
10,000-year history of dance in Turkey. More...
The center is
right around the corner from the Hocapaşa
restaurants, a good
place for a moderately-priced dinner
before or after the performance.
Take the Eminönü—Kabataş
Tram from
Sultanahmet to
the second stop (Sirkeci), then walk
south up Ankara Caddesi (away
from the Bosphorus)
to tiny Hocapaşa
Hamamı Sokak on the left
(map).
Walk along this street, which turns
right, and the Art & Culture
Center is on the left.
These performances are staged by:
Galata
Mevlevileri & Kubbe Production
Mr Kemal Çakırgöz
Ankara Caddesi, Hocapaşa Hamamı
Sokak No. 5-9D (map)
Sirkeci,
Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: +90 (212) 511 4626, 511 4636
Fax: +90 (212) 661 1968, 511 4686
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